Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello dakka it's been a while, anyway in the last couple of months me and my gaming group have been playing a lot of D&D and we love it. But we also have been

looking around for other RPG's and the one that interest use the most the is only war. We would love to do a bunch of campaigns where a squad is a cross between the A

Team and the Rat Patrol (we would be called the squig patrol). But we still don't know a lot about the game like how does character creation work can you choose to be a

Valhalla or a death corps member. If somebody would give us a basic rundown of the game that would probably be the best though. Thanks

Have you checked out the Fantasy Flight Games website? They should have a good rundown of what the game is about, and I think even a free downloadable adventure so you can check out the rules and see if it's for you.

But yes, you can play as members of various regiments. Some famous ones are presented in the books, but the rulebook also includes the option to create your own regiment - either to recreate one from the fluff that hasn't been statted (or which you don't like FFG's rules for), or to create a homebrewed regiment. Classes come in the form of various specialisations, from weapons specialists to drivers to sergeants and so on. Character progression is sort-of free in that you have access to all skills and talents, but their XP cost depends on your regiment and your character's role. Most players also get an NPC comrade that helps them do stuff or can take a bullet for them. Regimental rules allow you to have a campaign focused on foot sloggers, mechanised infantry, a tank batallion or drop troopers. For example, you and your players could all share a single Leman Russ, with one as the driver and the rest as gunners. Judging from your explanation, however, I suppose mechanised infantry is more up your angle, so you'll be happy to hear that you can also get a Chimaera for your squad.

Thanks for the answer i'll go on the website soon.

Is the intent that the party is formed from one regiment, or can you have a Valhallan, a Cadian and a Death Corp (walking into a bar as a setup for a joke, presumably.)

Okay....

The core rulebook includes rules for Mordian, Cadian, Tallarn Elysian, Catachan and Krieg regiments.

It also includes regiment creation rules, so you can create a custom regiment of your own.

Normally every member of the squad is from the same regiment; however nothing stops you letting people mix and match.

The supplement book "Hammer of the Emperor" includes specific, formal rules for mixed regiments, using the Tanith 1st as an example, and also adds Brontian, Scintillan, Attilan regiments (cavalry regiments!)

Your regiment does affect starting stats, but you could easily rule that everyone counts as the same, whatever they want to be in the background.

If you want the sort of squad you're talking about, I suggest creating a custom regiment with the 'Penal Legion' background - that doesn't mandate what kind of world the players are from, instead giving them talents suited for sneakyness and/or mild larceny.

Major things worth noting as a D&D player coming to Only War:

~ Combat is !!!!!!!!!!! deadly. You are a guardsman. You know that 'fifteen hours' joke? It's not a joke. Have a look at the 'squad sheet' you can download from FFG's page. That gives you a hint as to what the campaign will be like.

~ A basic ork boy will run through standard semi-automatic las-fire from a guardsman and kill him. You'll need to use suppressing fire, higher power settings, cover, and smart tactics, if you want to stand a chance.

~ Almost everything you face (aside from renegade guardsmen) is significantly better than you in a melee. Chainswords are awesome because you can parry with them effectively, not because they turn you into Conan.

~ Your comrade is important. Essentially a mobile stat boost with a nametag, comrades 'double up' a party size to that of a standard guard squad.

~ There is no magic healing. The Medicae skill is literally a lifesaver but it prevents you from dying, it doesn't magically replace broken limbs in the field.

~ Logistics: instead of currency, you get a squad logistics rating which you check as if it was another stat. Success gets you your special issue gear and/or reprovisions and reloads, and replacement NPC squad members, in addition to your basic equipment. As a rule, you will fail every so often and be short of something critical to the plan. The random table of 'substitute items' that the quartermaster issues you instead is amusing: the best example is a full set of brand new dress uniforms. Sized for ogryns....

~ Be very scared of tanks.


All the specialisations are good. Quick highlights:

Weapons Specialist: The 'generic trooper'. Comes with either a lasgun or a special weapon (either a flamer or the 'regimental special weapon' that your party agrees at character creation). Don't dismiss the lasgun, though - it's easy to get ammo for, and you can take talents and comrade abilities which makes it much more effective; most importantly giving it pinning for suppressive fire.

Heavy Gunner: Big guns never tire. Actually, that's a lie. You get a heavy stubber or regimental heavy weapon, and they're damn tiring to use. Encumbrance limits get hit fairly quickly with heavy gear, and the fact that you need to do a 'brace' action means that in a sudden encounter they won't get into action for at least one round, maybe two if you were suprised by the enemy. They do, on the other hand, have the punch to reliably hurt big enemies. A heavy bolter hit should blow most normal opponents to chunky salsa. Comrade is also vital for this guy, as he either takes away the to-hit penalty for full auto fire (stabilize) or speeds up the rate of fire of 'big punch' weapons (loader).

Sergeant: Not much cop himself, albeit not bad in a melee. Main advantage is 'sweeping orders' - one-turn boosts that enhance the way comrades support you. Can significantly up the damage of massed lasgun fire to the point that it can do meaningful damage to tougher opponents.

Medic: Stops you bleeding out and dying. Nuff said.

Operator: Gets tech-use and auspex gear. Especially good as a driver/gunner if you have a squad APC or are playing a tank crew, useful for demolitions and combat engineering even if not.

The support specialists are cool too, but I strongly recommend playing with basic troopers first.

Also, don't be afraid to "work around the system" if you see something you don't like. As per RAW, for example, the only way to play a sniper would be to play as a ratling, because some genius thought that classes should be linked to species, as if this was still 1974. As you can see from Dasha in my signature, however, you can easily play a weapons specialist as a sort-of-sniper by giving them a long-las instead of the standard lasgun. If you wanted, a further introduction of houserules would allow even more overlap, but if you're completely new to the game you should probably play as close to the rules as possible until you get a feeling for how stuff works.

 Lynata wrote:
Also, don't be afraid to "work around the system" if you see something you don't like.

Or maybe just let the guy play the game with his friends and figure it out for himself rather than confusing him with the stuff you personally don't like.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Or maybe just let the guy play the game with his friends and figure it out for himself rather than confusing him with the stuff you personally don't like.

You seem to be confusing helpful reminders with mandatory directives. Especially as your post was nothing but a repetition of my last sentence.

Squig Patrol, I like it! I expect you'll use the same theme song?

To use TV imagery, Only War fits a bit more on the lines of 'Combat!' than the Rat Patrol; a squad working it's way in various missions across the front and such (including commando raids) rather than behind-enemy-lines hit-and-run everytime, all the time.

While it can work well, the natural 'weaknesses' of humans comparated to Orks or Eldars would make it quite risky but still a blast to do; but since the main enemy is the setting is the Dominate (human rebels) you can manage to pull it off, yet you may have to 'cut corners' on a few game mechanics to better fit with the alone and stranded nature of a Rat Patrol type campaign (logistics, comrades)

As others stated, the players can be all of a single regiment, or everyone make thier own and then they mingle à la Rat Patrol and pool their differences to better beat their foe.

Personally, I enjoy Regiment creation, as it help to get the player involved into the campaing more than just having some char on a sheet. It brings a feeling of belonging to the players, that despite being alone, they are part of something bigger, fighitng for something even grander.